Swanspirit's Destiny
Swanpaw awoke and stretched. It was a beautiful day for hunting! She looked for a cat she had a crush on, Twistedpaw. She saw him and padded over with her mother, Dawnleg watching her from the sunning rocks. "Twistedpaw wanna go hunting?" Swanpaw yowled across camp. "Nahh I'm good," he responded sourly, curling his lip. Swanpaw weeped and padded into the Forest alone. Swanpaw caught a shrew, ate it ,and went back to camp. Whispersong then came up to her "Swanpaw we need to talk" Whispersong said guiding her to the medicine cat's den. "What do want?" Swanpaw snarled. "Ive had a prophecy, one day the swan will fly. Your the only cat in the clan that is related to 'swan' so it has to be you." Whispersong answered. Swanpaw's eyes grew wide "What is that supposed to mean?" The young white cat asked fearfully. "I'm not sure…" Whisperzong spoke her voice trailing off. Chapter 2 "Shouldn't medicine cats know?!" Swanpaw spat angrily as Whispersong disappeared into her den. Could anything get worse? An ominious prophecy, her crush rejecting her? ''I suppose now an eagle will come and take me away, ''Swanpaw thought mournfully, her tail slapping a puddle. "Hey!" a tiny kit squeaked, her pale brown fur wet. "You splashed me!" "Sorry, Puddlekit," Swanpaw said, licked the kit's ear. "Run along now. Find Featherkit." "Kay," Puddlekit mewed, scrambling away. Swanpaw sighed and creot up to Twistedpaw, her tail lashing angrily. "Why are you so rude?" she growled at her denmate. "You are the sourest cat in StormClan some days!" Twistedpaw slapped his wrenched right paw to the ground, two toes thrust at unnatural angles. "You would if you had paws like these! Even my mother and father whisper about me. They only love Finalpaw, their perfect kit!" he told Swanpaw bitterly. "I am an ugly lump of fur to the Clan." "No. You are not. I don't care about your paws. Have you seen your father's overbite? I'm like, lol, dude!" Swanpaw joked. Chapter 3 Swanpaw became Swanspirit, and her special gift turned out to be she had wings and could fly. She and Twistedpaw (now Twistedfoot) became mates. His gift was the ability to jump very high. But Whispersong's prophecy still haunted her. Even now, as she watched the medicine cat tran her apprentice Honeypaw. "Cave-lichen is a rare herb that grows in the Cave. It treats nettle wounds. And borage helps queens do what?" Whispersong demanded. "It gives them plenty of milk," Honeypaw answered. Three more apprentices, Hazepaw, Topazpaw, and Flamepaw wrestled by the apprentices' favorite rock. Swanspirit stretched her wings and took off into flight, and landed at the bank of the River. She fished a bit and went back to camp. "Are you expecting kits?" Puddlesplash asked. Her mate Oneleap curled up beside her. They never got along, and Swanspirit supposed they would get a divorce. "No!" Swanspirit gasped. "You are!" Dawnleg said. Her mother licked her cheek. "It's about time! "We've been trying for almost two seasons. Now we have some," Twistedfoot yowled joyfully. Finalstrike reared up happily. "Wonderful" was all Swanspirit would say. But also the prophecy came to mind. Was there room for kits? Whispersong never said anything, so it must be fine. More kits meant more warriors, after all. Chapter 4 "Can' t you help!" Swanspirit asked through gritted teeth. "Queens have been kitting since the dawn of time," Whispersong said. "And they have survived. So will you, my dear." "Don't 'my dear' me! You've never had kits-" Swanspirit began to protest, but then a light gray kit slid out. Emberkit, the only daughter of the recently deceased Batwing and Finalstrike, therefore her kin, peered into the nest like a tiny owlet. Honeypaw drew the little gray tabby back by the tail and led her to her nest. Another kit plopped onto the moss. "StarClan," the queen whispered. Three more came out in the end. Twistedfoot raced in and began grooming his mate briskly. "Have you decided names, love?" he asked. "Yes. Onekit, Micah, Berrykit, Ravenkit, and Bloodkit," Swanspirit replied. "Do I have a choice?" Twistedfoot purred, touching his muzzle to hers. "No." Her mate responded with a laugh. "Those are fierce names, I must say. Especially Bloodkit. I like it. Gruesome, yet beautiful," he said, thoughtfully. Emberkit raced up and nudged the kits with her nose. After her mother had died of greencough, Emberkit had been given to Swanspirit to nurse since she was the only queen with milk. Finalstrike, her father, spoiled the little kit. "Uncle Twistedfoot, why are their eyes closed?" Emberkit squeaked. "You were the same, Emberkit," Whispersong said. "Tiny and unable to hear or see. You relied completely on scent to guide you to your mom's-" Whsipersong corrected herself. "Aunt's teats." "Cool!" said the tiny kit before sleeping. Swanspirit sniffed each kit to get familiar with her children's scents before going to bed also. Twistedfoot stayed, but the medicine cat and her apprentice left. Chapter 5 Swanspirit grumbled as Micah hissed at Bloodkit then they both tackled Onekit. Emberkit lashed her long, sleek tail and batted them away. "No one touches him!" she said firmly. Hazepaw then stumbled into camp, yowling, "Fox attack! Fox attack!" Feathersplash and Puddlesplash were dragging Twistedfoot, while Topazleaf and Flamepaw dragged the dead body of a fox. Swanspirit wailed and ran up to her mate, Finalstrike and the kits close behind. "Is he dead?" Swanspirit cried. "The fox ruined his tail," Hazepaw said, giving the queen a quick lick before her sister Honeypaw shoved through with a wad of leaves in her mouth. Whispersong followed, also laden with herbs. Feathersplash and Puddlesplash set Twistedfoot down. The medicine cat and her apprentice cleaned the wound before applying poultices and cobwebs. "He's in the paws of StarClan now," announced Whispersong after an hour. Finalstrike, Topazpaw (Twistedfoot's apprentice), and Hazepaw, another daughter of Finalstrike, lifted Twistedfoot on their shoulders and into the medicine cats' den. Swanspirit cornered Whispersong in the nusery. The kits were playing with the apprentices. "Is this a punishment for me having kits?" she hissed, teeth bared and claws unsheathed. "No! No!" Whispersong assured her. "The kits were always apart of the prophecy. But so are a matter of things to test your control of reality." Swanspirit bushed her tail. "Like Twistedfoot losing his tail? My long, painful birth? The death of my brother?" she demanded. "Yes. StarClan is making sure you will be able to save the Clan." Swanspirit unfolded her wings and flew at Whispersong, barreling her into the hard dirt walls of the den. "My control of reality? Oh, medicine cat, find better words!" Swanspirit shrieked. Whispersong backed out of the den slowly. "Consider, my dear! You are barely a child. StarClan has to test you to make sure you are brave and stong enough to do it. Kits, a deformed mate, the death of a littermate, all make one strong. Do not fret, my dear!" Swanspirit hissed and settled onto the nest. "Send Tygerpaw to fetch me a mouse, and have the kits come in for the night," she ordered. Whispersong dipped her head and disappeared. Chapter 6 "From this day on, you shall be known as Emberpaw," Featherstar mewed. "Topazleaf, you are ready for an apprentice. Mentor Emberpaw well." Micah, Berrypaw, Ravenpaw, and Onepaw weaved around their cousin. "Bloodkit, you shall now be known as Bloodpaw. Finalstrike will mentor you." As the Clan called the apprentices' names, Swanspirit began to cry. "My kits are apprentices now!" she said sadly to Puddlesplash. The young warrior licked her ear. "It must be tough," the brown she-cat agreed. "You poor dear!" Whispersong was watching Swanspirit. The white she-cat stalked up to her. "What do you want?" Swanspirit growled. "Nothing, little one. Just that I am pleased your kits are apprentices at last," said the medicine cat. ''"Sure." ''Swanspirit hissed, disgust creeping into her tone. Bloodpaw bounced up to her, purring. "Mom, we're exploring the territory!" "How exciting!" Honeypaw said. "Whispersong, can I tag along to go get that juniper we need?" "Sure. But don't slow them down," Whispersong warned her apprentice. "Of course not!" called Honeypaw as she raced out of camp. Topazpaw peered after them, Flamepaw and Hazepaw flanking him. Featherstar flicked her tail wearily and called the Clan together. "We have one more ceremony to perform. Topazpaw, Flamepaw, Hazepaw, step forward," she said. "Do you pledge yourselves to be loyal and noble warriors and defend this Clan and its heritage of the warrior code, even at the cost of your lives?" "I do," all three apprentices said. "Then by the mysteries of StarClan I will tell you your warrior names. Topazpaw, you are Topazleaf. Flamepaw, you are Flamefire. Hazepaw, you ae Hazewhisker." "Topazleaf! Flamefire! Hazewhisker!" everyone yowled obediently.